One for All, All for Russia
by Shadow.X.Spirit
Summary: When a trip to Russia becomes more than a simple con the team must quickly adapt to life or death situations. Meanwhile, Eliot's battling an army just to keep his friends breathing and everyone finds out just how much they hate Russia's snow.
1. Chapter 1

**To anyone else reading my other stories don't worry, I have not forgotten… I have just started to watch Leverage and needed to write this. I wanted to see if I could write something with live actors please let me know what you think and I will upload.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Leverage or its characters just the plot line of the story.**

**Chapter 1:**

Eliot Spencer cuddled with the cold piece of metal knowing full well that he'd receive no heat from it—more for just comfort. _God I hate guns… _But he needed one. He lightly tossed the assault rifle in his hands to get a better grip, but the thickness of his gloves made it difficult. Eliot made his self smaller against the solid trunk of the tree; he watched his breath come out in small clouds and then drift up to join the night sky.

He heard the crunching of snow just off in the distance and then the shouts of commands. The hitter silenced his breath and his fingers danced on the trigger of the gun. No matter how malign the object felt in his grasp the situation couldn't be dealt without it. He glanced up at the cloudless sky and prayed to whatever deity that might've been up there.

By now the snow was making his feet and lower back go numb, but what was winter without its snow. It was practically night, though it wasn't pitch black. Some may say it was still twilight and there was still that cerulean tinge to everything. He blinked his eyes and was relieved that they were finally adjusting to the darkening blue after all this time. The hitter then squirmed and peered around the side of the tree only to jolt back behind it when the sound of guns went off. Bullets kicked up snow as the line of fire ascended the snowy hill.

Eliot flinched and swatted at the icy powder that still clung to his face, numbing his skin and making it raw. His heart was now pounding with a new rush of adrenaline and his breaths were more like pants. Again, bullets pounded the ground all around his tree and he tucked in his legs and covered the back of his neck with his hands. The sound was muffled because of the soft, frothy snow the bullets were landing in, but because of the accuracy of the shots Eliot knew he had to move fast.

Judging from the sound the guns were making and the speed with which they fired he knew they weren't snipers so they must be getting close. Then there were more shouts. _Okay…or right behind me; that works too…_ He shrugged and then sighed to himself. Carefully, the hitter stood up and made sure not to reveal any parts of his body from behind the tree. _I can't back down now…not with what's at stake… _He made sure he was ready with the trigger and closed his eyes and pounded the back of his head against the tree. _I can't be getting nervous now—I have to do this with no mercy! _

Preparing his self to attack at any moment he flexed his leg muscles to try and get some feeling into them. He had tried to dress warm enough knowing the environment could get harsh, but he couldn't give up mobility for comfort. Eliot picked one boot out of the snow and then the other. He took another quick look around at his surroundings. Everything was still that same dark blue hue; the forest here was dense with pine trees; everyone was fairly sturdy—there was at least some good protection here. From his position he needed to go due north. Behind him, about a fourth of a mile away, was the base; down the snow-covered hill just around his tree were his enemies._ I can't get hung up. This is just a retrieval mission like all the others…I can't allow myself to get attached. This time I _need _to see red. _Eliot pumped himself up with one last mental pep talk before he decided it was time.

With no warning at all the hitter leapt out from behind the tree and immediately began to spot enemies and fire at them with his rifle. They returned the fire and he could hear them fly by his ears—feel the heat through his jackets. The snow was powdery but deep; it took a lot of his energy just to lift his knees high enough to get them out for the next step. The hill was also quite steep and he had to be sure not to slip—that would mean automatic death for Spencer. Then, after about 15 feet he slid feet first into the base of another tree and planted his back to the bark and caught his breath.

Eliot recounted in his head how many mean he spotted down there. _About 7… And I took out three? Four… God, I have no fucking idea. _He cursed his self and checked his weapon. He didn't need to reload. _Okay… Don't let down now… One, two… _He came out again and this time ran sideways towards another tree about ten feet away. He fired and saw two more guys go down. _What's that—two left? _This time when he reached the other tree he didn't stop; that's what they would expect. Eliot kept running but he made sure to not stay in the open for too long. The profuse number of trees helped both sides concerning cover wise, but the hitter had a constant speed as he made his way down the hill—that's when he tripped on a log buried under the snow. His arms went wild as an attempt to grab something before he went down but that meant so did his gun. For the moment bullets were unbridled until he hit the snow. Everything was quiet for a few seconds. Whether it was the snow blocking it all out or maybe he actually hit both the remaining men? He log-rolled sideways, once recovered, and took safety from behind yet another tree.

_Maybe I did get them all?_ More bullets whizzed by him in response. _Damn; I knew it was too good to be true. _He growled through seethed teeth. The silence that settled on the landscape was all too eerie and guns going off sounded so out of place. It all felt like a dream. Eliot twisted around the tree and fired a round then went back behind it. The enemy did the same. Then, the hitter took a wide step and feigned to his left but he really went right. The other soldier was caught off guard for just a split second but in that time Eliot managed to put a bullet right in his heart.

He jogged down the rest of the hill and once it leveled out he saw the seven bodies all sprawled out in the white snow. He held no sympathy for the men. Eliot stared down at the warm crimson soaking the edges of his boots. He was seeing red. _Well, I certainly haven't lost my touch._ He smirked and bent down to retrieve the fallen enemies' supplies.

He woke with a startle and his chest heaved with the action of pulling in much needed air. Eliot condensed himself and allowed the covers—which were being strangled between his fingers—to fall onto his lap. Sweat was running down the sides of his face and matted his hair to his forehead and the back of his neck. He moaned and ran both hands down his face then kneaded his eyes and temple. _God… What a nightmare… _He stiffly got out of bed wearing his grey sweatpants and navy blue tee. The wooden floor sent a chill up his spine once it came in contact with his bare feet. He rubbed his arms but decided it better just to get a warm cup of coffee. However, when he thought about it, it probably wasn't all that cold in the apartment; it was just the sweat still clinging to his body that made him cold.

Eliot was sure to be completely silent when he slipped out of the room; didn't want to wake any of the other team members now did he? When he arrived in the kitchen he glanced at the stove clock and saw that it was only 7:23 in the morning. Knowing the others it would still be some time before any of them arouse. Their HQ was quite dark seeing how they left the blinds closed last night and turned off all lights, however, Eliot's eyes quickly adjusted and he had no trouble navigating to the counter. _That's weird… _His brows furred in confusion. Coffee was already brewed in the pot. That's when the door opened and the hitter jumped and tensed in surprise.

"Nate—what are you doing up so early?" He eased noticeably when he realized it was only him. Nate seemed to calm down too—startling Eliot Spencer was never a good thing; who knows what he could do before he noticed who you were.

"Uh…there was a client. They're an early bird and this was the only time they could make so…" He walked up took a cup from the cabinets before pouring himself some coffee. Eliot was still frozen in place from the jolt; he tried to make the simple explanation click in his mind and calm down his racing heartbeat. _I must still be lingering in my dream… _He pondered.

"You okay," Nate asked while taking a sip of the drink. His eyes lingered on the hitter but his tone didn't suggest he was all too concerned.

"Uh, yeah…fine." He reached up and took another mug from the cabinet.

"Was it another nightmare of yours?" The leader asked composedly while he walked around to lean against the island in the center of the kitchen.

"What are you talking about I don't have nightmares." Eliot chuckled lightly, but the rushed way he said it confessed his lie. Nate looked at him with arched eyebrows and placed the cup down onto the marble counter. Eliot made sure to avoid eye contact even if that just supported the fact he was lying.

"Yeah, sure like I _don't_ hear you at night… Listen, Eliot it's nothing to be ashamed of; maybe you could find someone to talk too—"

"No. I'm just fine." He snapped. This topic was just a little too close to home for the hitter's liking. Though, nightmares were a common thing with him; even if he normally slept only 90 minutes a day. Eliot's past gave him a lot of his things to morn and feel guilty over but none of which he wanted to discuss with Nate at 7:30 in the morning. The man had enough of his own problems to worry about.

"I'm sorry. Just wanted to make sure you were okay." He said without blinking.

"Thanks, but I'm fine." He sent him a faint smile and walked over to the couch with his coffee. "What's uh—this client what want us to do?" He asked, wanting to change the subject. Nate went and joined him. Clearing his throat he said, "How do you feel about Russian's?"

Eliot groaned. "Want me to lie?"

"Had a feeling it'd be like that… She was a sweet girl; said something about her parents—apparently they're the ones needing our help but they're also still over in Russia."

"How are we gonna help people who don't even live here?" It all sounded just a little too arduous of a con for the hitter.

"You've heard of a plane before, right?" Nate smirked.

"Seriously—what sap story did she conjure up for you to want to travel to Russia?" He leaned back and put his arms around the rear of the couch.

"Is that what you think of all the people we help; they're just 'sap stories' to you?" Nate narrowed his eyes judgingly.

"No man, it's just—"

"Oh hello you two," Sophie appeared wearing a bright smile as she walked in from the hallway. "You're up early. Do we have a case or something," Her white robe trailed behind her as she went over to the fridge.

"We do—actually." Nate said.

"More Russians," Eliot added gruffly.

"More, I would've thought we put them all out of commission by now." The grifter said, shocked.

"Don't worry there's plenty of them to go around." Eliot replied.

"When the other two get up I'll discuss it all and have Hardison begin to get information. However, we're going to be out of the country for this one." The leader explained.

"We're going to Russia?" Sophie gasped. Then when she saw Nate nod she put her hands on her hips and smirked. "What'd our client say to make you decide that?"

"That's what I said!" Eliot exclaimed.

"No, I remember you saying it was a 'sap story'." Nate corrected.

"You know what I meant." Eliot rolled his eyes and stood up. "I'm gonna go pack; get a head start yea know." He left the two alone and disappeared back into his room. Once Sophie got herself some orange juice she joined Nate in the living room.

"Did you hear him last night?" Nate asked.

"Hear who,"

"Never mind…" Nate placed his cup down on the coffee table by his knees.

"I don't like Russia." Parker pouted with puppy dog eyes. "It's impossible to blend in with all that snow." She added just to make sure they had gotten her point.

"Well, it'd be hard to pull this con all the way over here." Nate retorted. The four of them were all sitting around the table perched on stools while Hardison was preparing to start his presentation.

"Okay," He stood up, remote in hand before anyone else could protest the whereabouts of this con. "So the person who Nate visited with this morning was a 24 year old Russian named Tasha Mayer." A picture came up of the woman.

"Hoh, I like here." Eliot grinned. Hardison looked over his shoulder and returned his excitement. The girl was extremely beautiful with long brown hair that had darker highlights throughout. She had dark eyes with fine skin—

"Boys, let's focus." Sophie moaned.

"Anyway, she's a Russian actress who moved to the states when her parents raised enough money…"

"What do _they_ do?" Sophie asked; it was easily noticeable that she was glad to help out a fellow actress.

"They're both farmers so it must've been tough to get all that money." Hardison crossed his arms and stepped to the side so everyone could see the picture that came up. It was off a younger couple, in black and white, who had their arms over the other's shoulder while they were standing in front of an old farmhouse. It was your classical farmer duo. "They've had the farm for about thirty years and they resist every government official that comes and tries to buy it off of them. Now, lately—or at least according to Tasha—her parents have been harassed by the mob over there. They're trying to do the same thing as the government—get their land—but of course they also have some different methods of doing so." The hacker scratched his nose and gave the others a moment to allow everything to soak in.

"Where'd you get all of this?" Parker asked curiously.

"Glad you asked." Hardison grinned. "I glanced at Tasha's facebook and found a whole page dedicated to her parents. It told all about her childhood and what they did to get her to the US."

"Way to think outside of the box." Sophie complimented.

"What do you got on the mob over there?" Eliot chimed in.

"Now, I knew _you'd_ be the one to ask that." He brought up some more pictures; mostly ones from security cameras of what looked like shifty people doing shifty things. "I would have a better photo if I had found one, but these guys are pretty good at staying low. They seem to be your average kind of group… Do a lot of gun running and human trafficking…some assassination here and there—they look above the type that does drugs if yea ask me." They all grew quiet and stared at the people on the screen.

"Can you—can you zoom in on the guy in the background." Eliot said; his face twisted in thought. Hardison did his best, but it all became too distorted to even recognize that they were people when he went in on the guy in question.

"Do you know him?" Parker asked in a whispered.

"I can't be sure…"

"I wouldn't be surprised if yea did; these guys seem to be in your area of expertise…" The hacker mumbled.

"What was that?" The hitter growled.

"Nothing…nothing…"

"Listen up guys," Nate raised his voice and everyone turned to look at him. "Tasha gave us an address for her parent's house and she said she'd give us more information once we get there. Hardison I want five plan tickets for Mogot, Russia."

"Already on it"

"Okay, let's all get packed for Russia!" Nate smiled and clapped once before heading off to his own room.

"I don't like Russia." Parker reminded Sophie with a frown.

"For the greater good…" The Brit sighed and patted the blonde's shoulder.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

"What do you mean you two got first class?" Nate seethed as the five of them boarded the plane.

"Well, seeing how you and Sophie always get it I thought it'd be our turn to ride in luxury." The hacker replied as he motioned to Eliot and himself. "I would've gotten Parker one too but I couldn't find her in time. These tickets were booked last minute and the first class seats were running out—I'm sorry." He apologized to the blonde—but to her only. She shrugged in content. Sophie and Nate rolled their eyes in vexation and left for their seats near the back of the plane. The flight staff pointed Parker in the same direction and she trailed behind the two. Both Eliot and Hardison happily went left into the first class section and took their seats next to each other—though they were spaced apart fairly well.

Hardison took the window and Eliot the aisle seat; the last thing he'd want if something went wrong was to be corner against the wall. It turned out their chairs swiveled around and the hacker was enjoying his to the fullest.

"How cool is this man! I love first class!" For the moment Eliot was embarrassed to even be near the large child. It wasn't long after they boarded the plane did it prepare for takeoff.

"Dude, why don't you go to sleep? I doubt that 90 minutes thing is real." Hardison suggested to the hitter who looked a little paranoid.

"Not in a public place like this." He replied stiffly.

"Tch—come on, seriously? Nothing is gonna happen. I'll even keep watch for yea. Then after an hour or two I'll wake you up." He flicked the man's shoulder with the back of his hand. Eliot stared at the motion with thought then grumbled, "Fine. But you better not fall asleep till you wake me up for my shift."

"Don't worry, Rambo, you're in good hands." Hardison mumbled as he turned to look out the window.

**~00~0*0~00~**

Once everything that he could retrieve from the bodies was taken Eliot Spencer prepared his weapon for another wave and silently took shelter behind one of the thick trees. Snow was now beginning to fall lightly but it did nothing to impair his vision. However, night had grown closer and with the clouds having already rolled in the moon's glow was blocked. The only light he could see anywhere for miles was the fortress just a fourth of a mile away.

Great, I got 400 meters to tread in two feet of snow… He was at the edge of the forest and it was pretty much open ground till the he reached the north wall. Large search lights were mounted on every corner of the building and it wasn't perfectly square-there were a lot of outcrops so that lead to many search lights. They constantly scanned the white ground in an arithmetic pattern and Eliot studied it.

Some of the new supplies weighed him down, but he had a feeling he'd need them for later. He was mentally ready to move out when he heard the sound of a motor coming towards him. He instinctively grew small behind the tree and looked around. That's when he noticed—barely noticed—the soldier coming towards him on a white snowmobile. The man's armor was also camouflaged white and Eliot could hardly pick him out amongst the snow.

The hitter raised his weapon and hid, waiting for the man to come closer. The snowmobile slowed when it reached the forest edge and eventually came to a stop. Eliot drew in deep breaths, desperately listening to the man's movements. He heard the sound of snow crunching under the soldier's boots. Suddenly, he spun around and aimed—the man was down within the same second.

Eliot caught his breath and gave his heart time to calm down. He lowered his rifle and slowly approached the body. Turns out he was down but not dead. The man groaned and rolled onto his side; blood pooled and stained the snow around him and his white uniform. The bullet had pierced the center of his chest and he'd be dead within minutes. The hitter walked up to him and kicked the soldier onto his back. The man coughed up blood and a small trickle of crimson ran down the side of his mouth. Eliot patted his sides and pulled off his walkie-talkie, throwing it into the trees. Then, he removed all ammo and anything that could be of importance. He even took the man's pistol, holstering it onto his belt.

"I'll be borrowing this if you don't mind." He said while stepping up onto the waiting snowmobile. The man didn't complain so he took it as an 'okay'. Eliot knew that this was not the most silent way to infiltrate a fortress but how else was he supposed to make it across the open stretch without being snipped? He revved the machine and did a doughnut before moving forwards; snow blasted out in all direction behind him. Heading straight for the stronghold, his eyes were practically forced shut with the snowflakes coming at him at such a harsh angle from the speed. Then, he felt a sharp sting in his left arm and he glanced at it only to see the wound where a bullet had just grazed him. The fabric of his jacket was ripped and blood was being absorbed into the material. God… I hate snipers…

**~00~0*0~00~**

"Eliot...Hardison?" Sophie asked into her comm.

"They must just be sleeping," Nate explicated. The two of them were both sitting next to the other near the back of the plane; Parker twisted around and looked over her seat back at them.

"How long is this flight?" She asked with narrowed eyes.

"Long..." Sophie moaned.

"Do you know what con we're gonna pull?" The thief then asked. At that question both women forced their gaze on the leader who took a casual sip of his alcohol.

"Just-give me some time; I'll have one." Parker nodded and slowly retreated back to her seat, but then just jolted back around.

"Nate...everyone's gonna be okay...right?" Her eyes were intense and searched for the truth within the man's. "Russia's…dangerous."

"Don't worry; I'll make sure we all go home in one piece." He smiled reassuringly. The thief returned to her seat.

"I feel like we're going into this con without any knowledge on anything! You don't 'wing it' with people like this." Sophie expressed her worry this time.

"That's why when we land Tasha said she'll take us to her parents and then we can get a better understanding of the situation at hand." Nate seemed confident with his plan and that rubbed off on Sophie for she finally relaxed enough to go to sleep. She made herself comfortable against the leader's arm and it didn't take long before slumber arrived. Nate watched her sleep peaceful and made an inward pact with himself that he'd protect his family to the very ends. Not even the comrades would get near them.

**~00~0*0~00~**

"Sir, we will be landing soon." One of the flight attendants gently nudged Hardison and Eliot on the shoulders and the hacker snapped awake. She moved on to the next first class passengers. Hardison looked around, still slightly dazed; meanwhile Eliot was taking his time arousing. The hacker noticed this and he always noticed that he fell asleep on his 'shift'. Not that it was a big deal-well to Eliot it was-he just didn't feel like dying today that's all. Trying to act composed he watched from the corner of his eye as the hitter blinked open his eyes and took in his surroundings with confusion written on his face.

"Before you say anything..." Hardison stuttered.

"We are we..." Eliot looked around and spoke with a raspy voice. The hacker was sort of caught off guard.

"W-Well, we're on a plane...to Russia-and we'll be landing soon..."

"Right..." Eliot sat up straight and rubbed his eyes. Hardison thanked the lord. Was it possible that he didn't remember? He wasn't going to test his luck.

"Eliot, hey-you guys up yet?" Nate's voice sounded through the comm.

"Yeah, we're here. When we get off we'll meet you guys by the gate." The hitter returned.

"Sounds good; keep an eye out for Tasha."

"Oh, don't worry we will." Hardison chimed in joyfully. Nate didn't reply to that. Soon the plane landed and everyone was gathering their bags from the overhead compartments. Eliot brought his down when someone laid a hand on his shoulder. The hitter flinched and spun around ready to hit somebody. However, he realized it was only Hardison before his fist could make contact.

"Whoa, Jesus man!" The hacker flinched and wasn't sure if he should take a few steps back just for precaution. "What's up with you?"

"Uh...nothing...I guess I just don't feel good about this con that's all." He mumbled, slinging his duffle over his shoulder.

"Well let's just get out of here before you start mistaking someone for a kamikaze or what not..." Hardison began to weave his way through the crowd of people and Eliot stayed close behind. He was trying to keep his gaze straight-glued to his friend's back-but he couldn't help but look around. His heart was racing at the moment and every stranger he saw felt like they were his enemy. He wanted to break the arm of any person that bumped into him. The hitter just hoped that his paranoia wasn't all that visible. Hardison looked over his shoulder and his face was covered with obvious worry. Shit...

Once the hacker spotted Nate and the others waiting just a little ways off he sprinted over, startling them all.

"What's wrong," Nate asked in curiosity.

"Eliot's having a panic attack!" He blurted out.

"No, I'm not!" Eliot said out of breath, appearing from behind Hardison.

"Are you okay?" Nate asked with more concern.

"I just want to get out of here..." Some man's bag hit his arm and he jumped, but caught himself before he could do anything violent. He even managed to keep his voice level. "Before I rip someone's head off-that's all." He stared into the leader's eyes who nodded.

"That's a reasonable excuse..." He mumbled, sending Sophie a glare which said 'well have to look into this later'. She bite her lip and was about to speak up when a Russia woman came running up to them.

"Ah, Mr. Ford; spasiba... I'm so glad you could make it" Tasha zealously shook Nathan's hand and spoke with a deep Russian accent.

"We're just glad to help." He replied, and then glanced over his shoulder at Eliot who was now taking in deep breaths just to keep calm. "Do you think we could hurry to the car?" He urged respectively. Tasha's eyes widened.

"Of course; right this way." She smiled warmly and led the way.

"Dude, this is a panic attack right now." Hardison whispered into the hitter's ear.

"Don't get near me or your head's coming off." Eliot warned, eyes looking straight ahead. The hacker cringed away and kept a safe distance till they reached the awaiting car outside. Well, cars.

"Guys me and Sophie will take this car with Tasha; will you be okay?" Nate asked, turning to Eliot. The hitter grumbled in return and threw his bag in the open trunk of the second car.

"Nun uh! There is no way I'm sitting next to this guy right now!" Hardison protested.

"Look, he's not..." Nate began before he looked at the glare on Eliot's face and thought otherwise. "Okay, he just might...Eliot-try to control yourself..." Nate got into the first car with Sophie and Tasha while the three children got into the other. Eliot took shotgun thinking it best concerning his blood pressure and patience level. Parker got in the seat behind him and both cars drove out from the airport parking lot.

Hardison was silent, staring out the window as he took in the Russian landscape. However, he kept a close eye on Eliot who was also looking outside. Meanwhile, Parker was leaning forward to poke the hitter in the back. Alec elbowed her in the side and glared at her-trying as hard to relay the message of 'no' silently. The blonde cocked her head and raised a finger, threatening to try again. Hardison shook his head even harder this time.

"Guys, just stop whatever it is you're doing..." Eliot moaned. Both of them sulked back into their seat. They all went silent and the driver made a sharp right hand turn, still following the black car ahead. The thieves took in the landscape surrounding them. At first they were only traveling through city. The skies were darkening despite the time being only 5:34 in Mogot. Clouds were rolling in and the disappearing light made the city look much more menacing than it might've in proper sun-but then again it was Russia.

**~00~0*0~00~**

"I hope you had an enjoyable flight." Tasha said, twisting around from the front seat to Nate and Sophie. "Or at least as comfortable 12 hours on a plane can be..." She laughed and the other two chuckled it agreement.

"How long will it be till we reach your parent's home, Ms. Mayer?" Sophie asked.

"About half an hour-I hope that will not be a problem." She replied with her heavy Russian accent.

"Oh, not at all." The woman assured. She then leaned in to Nate and whispered, "You sure Eliot's gonna be okay?"

"He'll be fine. Russia can have that effect on people." He answered.

"It sounds like you speak from experience." She grinned.

"I've chased quite a handful of stolen property to this country-I wouldn't say I'm a stranger." He returned the excitement with an ominous tone.

"When we get there we will be staying at my parent's farmhouse; it is surprisingly large and every one of you will be able to have our own room." Tasha commented; she watched as some of the city surroundings were beginning to get replaced with open fields and patches of trees.

"We'll be sure to thank them for their hospitality." Nate said.

"Again, Mr. Ford, we cannot thank you enough for helping us."

"It's what we do." The grifter stated with pride. They went quiet and watched as the frenzy of the suburb became the serenity of the country. Fields would stretch on into the horizon and over to the east, where a wall of mountains sat, the clouds started marching in brining snow along with them. Every now and then one would see a patch of ancient evergreens but around here most of the land was plowed out for farming or grazing livestock.

Eventually the half an hour passed and the two black cars pulled up in front of a commodious farm house where the paint was peeling off near the edges and the roof looked decrepit, yet here it was still standing. The house was in the middle of nowhere with only the one road traveling near it. Here, trees were sparse and all that could be seen were the already harvested fields and some cows sitting in the open barn just 50 feet away from the house.

Sophie got out and sent Nate a look over the roof of the car. 'Don't worry; you can do this...' He mouthed back. A couple then appeared on the porch and Tasha ran up to them. The three hugged and greeted each other with Russian and the team pulled back together once the second car came to a stop.

"I see you guy are still in one piece." Nathan grinned at Hardison playfully. Eliot growled and swung his bag out from the trunk.

"We almost died, man. Please explain the dangers of putting your hand near a shark's mouth to Parker!" The hacker exclaimed. Parker chuckled and rolled her eyes.

"Mr. Ford, please come inside. My parents will like to welcome you!" Tasha waved them over and then followed her parents inside the farmhouse. The leader tuned to everyone and said, "You guys ready to go steal something?"

"What you haven't thought of it yet?" Sophie asked critically.

"I'll let you guys know when I do." He turned and started towards the home.

**Hello, sorry if anyone found this chapter to be boring. In Chapter 3 you'll finally be able to meet the Russians they're going up against and Eliot will get to do some ass kickin'! Would love to read your reviews~ **


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry this has taken so long; I had some serious trouble with uploading this chapter. Let's hope this works. I appreciate all of the favoring and alerts of this fic but what I'd really love would be some reviews—of you have the time X3 Thanks. **

**~00~0*0~00~**

**Chapter 3:**

Everyone stepped up onto the porch and the wood creaked under the new weight. Nate warily opened up the screen door and that too moaned. The crew walked in single file and then spread out in the living room. It was comely inside and to the right was a small living room with a couch and some chairs. With a bookcase in the corner it contradicted the fact that all farmers had to be uneducated. To the left was the kitchen where the three Mayer's were waiting and directly ahead of the front door were the stairs to the second floor.

"Please, just put your things down right there for now." Mrs. Mayer said with a warm smile. They all did as told and then came into the kitchen where the husband welcomed them each with a glass of vodka.

"Ah-I was told you like a good drink." He said when confronting Nate with the beverage. The leader nodded humbly and accepted it with thanks. Tasha took a seat at the table next to her mother when the sound of cars going over the dirt driveway was heard.

"What's that?" Hardison looked from face to face for an answer.

"It's probably just the drivers leaving." Tasha assumed.

"No...this is a different kind of engine..." Eliot said with narrowing eyes.

"Does it have a distinct sound?" Parker asked curiously. The hitter looked over his shoulder and chuckled.

"You guys pick up fast..." He went over to the small window above the sink and pushed aside the opaque, flower-embroider curtains. Two similar cars were just pulling up next to the house, however, four men in black clothing got out of each car. No guns were visible-so far. "Company" He whispered; his voice was already growing deep nod threateningly.

The husband and wife moved to go to the door reluctantly when Nate motioned for them to stop. Footsteps were heard on the outside deck. Then there was some pounding on the screen door-the wooden one behind it was still left ajar.

"Let's me handle this." Nate said confidently. "Eliot..." The hitter discerned and nodded. He leaned in to the couple and asked quietly: "do you happen to have a back door?"

Nate went to the front door and looked at the 8 men through the screen. "Can I help you gentlemen?"

"Yes, you can." The knocker said with his Russian accent. "Where are Mr. and Mrs. Mayer?" He growled.

"Well, they're not here right now-may I take a message?" Nathan made sure to keep his grinning minimal. Any second now Eliot would be there kicking their asses.

"Sure, tell them 'to come to the fucking door this instant'!" The man seethed; the other Russian's behind him tensed and prepared for refusal. What attitude... Ford thought with a roll of his eyes. Meanwhile, everyone in the kitchen was waiting apprehensively for Eliot to come and fix it or something to go very wrong-it was a 50/50.

The hitter was stalking around the side of the home and was as silent as could be. Adrenaline was burning his veins and his fists clenched then relaxed in a monotone manner. He was dying to punch something. He gazed around the corner and saw Nate stalling the men from behind the safety of the rotting screen door; the leader talking was obviously not enjoying the wait.

Eliot quickly eyed them all up. Most were average size-for Russians. Still, he could not see any guns but that didn't mean they were concealing them. Seven were Russian with the classical, stern face and brawny frame However, one was not. The eighth looked to Asian-Vietnamese if he had to guess. He was visible smaller than the rest of them with black, combed back hair, though he stood with his hands behind his back-completely calm. It was as if these men were his body guards. Let's make this quick. Eliot thought. And succumbed to the fighter urge within and jumped up onto the porch. In two long strides he had sneaked into the middle of the unaware men and immediately began breaking faces. He did a backwards elbow strike to the leader's nose and sent his flying back through the screen door. Nate dodged just in time and went into the kitchen where he advised they all went to a safer room.

Eliot then side kicked one man who looked to be reaching for a weapon in the chest and went to break the elbow of another. At the edge of his vision he noticed the Asian running off into the open barn door, though he could not pursue at the moment. One Russian clocked him in the cheek and he spun before using his momentum to uppercut one behind him. That man let out a groan and then Eliot kneed him in the crotch before shoving the wailing guy back into the one recovering from the screen door.

A larger one of the six remaining bear hugged him from behind and he was vulnerable to the other guy who did two crosses to the hitter's face then another uppercut to the solar plexus. Knowing he must break free as quickly as he can, Eliot slammed the back of his head into the one trapping him and then did a back kick. He glanced over his shoulder and watched as the man was stumbling away when his foot connected with his chest and his head then whacked on the porch's post.

Turning back ahead he grabbed the arm of the leader who came at him with a knife thrusting forwards. Eliot adroitly spun and pressured the captured arm at an unnatural and incredible painful angle. Keeping the leader there he back-fisted one who tried to sneak up from behind and the remained two Russians waited for their leader to make the next move.

"You're gonna tell your boss this...'' Eliot leaned in to the groaning man's ear. ''You'll be leaving the Mayer's alone or he'll be hearing from me personally.'' He hissed before shoved the Russian away. The leader stood up, cradling his wounded arm and, glaring at the hitter, motioned for any men still conscious to round up their knocked out comrades and return to the cars. Eliot wasted no time in making sure they left-he immediately took off towards the barn. Twilight was soon upon them all and the grey clouds painting the sky made everything look much darker then the time corresponded with. The bright, orange glow coming out from the unlatched door was harsh as it stretched out across the cold earth in a long line.

"Colonel Kim, sir, they had a man here and...I-" The Asian speaking on the phone paused when he thought he heard the cars starting back up. "W-Wait!'' He screamed, bolting towards the door from where he was in the center of the barn. "Where do you think you're going?'' He fumed in Russian as he shoved opened the door only to be meet with the sight of both cars speeding away and then Eliot's leg. The hitter was waiting against the side of the building right next to the door and as soon as he saw the man coming out he turned and did a round kick to the man's stomach, sending him skidding back inside.

"Where's Colonel Kim?" Eliot screamed; his eyes were glowing with rage. "What's he doing working

with Russian's?" He approached the Vietnam man who tried to scurry away and retrieve his phone. Eliot grabbed his ankle and yanked him back when he was within inches of reaching it. "Tell me-now!" He kicked the man onto his back and immediately the guy begged for his life.

''Please...I'm not a fighter-I'm just here to make sure Pankov's men didn't mess up I-" He shut up when Eliot's fist connected with his face. The hitter was now kneeling over the guy and repeatedly punching him with his right hand, only to pause when he asked another question.

''Where is he?" He lifted is clenched right fist and pound him again. By now Eliot was fully leaning over the man; he had his left hand on the ground next to the guy's face to keep him up. Droplets of blood were dripping from his knuckles and the Vietnamese's face was already distorted. His teeth were claret and his nose was getting indented.

"Please...stop...I'll tell you..." He sobbed from the pain of his face literally breaking. Blood was everywhere. Both men were certainly covered in it and even the ground around his head was pooling with it. Eliot growled and took in a deep breath as he punched him again.

"TELL ME NOW!" He screamed. The cows and few horses in the barn either reared on end or tried to kick their ways out of the stalls. Some just retreated behind one another-the malign aura surrounding the hitter was frightening even to them. By now Eliot had lost himself to the rage and violence-he lost control and continued his furry of attacks. One after the other. No more words exchanged; it just became a rhythmic pattern. Pull arm up. Breath. Tighten fist. Punch. Breath. Pull arm up.

It wasn't long before the man stopped moving. He no longer flinched from each blow. His face was indistinguishable and yet Eliot couldn't stop punching. He felt like he was trapped within himself and could only watch. The man's dead already-stop! His self-conscious tried screaming but to no avail. He didn't even hear the sound of the two people coming up to the barn door-just the sound of more flesh tenderizing under each knuckle.

"Eliot!" Nate looked into the barn and ran when he saw the hitter. He wasn't shocked when he realized that he alone couldn't rip the man off the body. Hardison ran up next to him and with both of their strength they managed to throw Eliot off. "Close the door!" Nate screamed, gasping for air. Hardison wasted no time in doing so. He then turned back to the scene before him and froze. What was he supposed to say at a time like this? What to do? Eliot was panting on the dirt next to the beaten body; he cradled his right arm into his chest and kept his eyes welded shut.

Hardison walked back slowly and tried to keep his gaze off of the gruesome scene but found that impossible. The man had his arms out to the side and his feet were spaced slightly. His eyes were wide beneath the blood and warped face. The question how do you kill someone just by punching them crossed his mind, bask never asked. Eventually, he had to look away for his stomach was beginning to twist into one too many knots. Nate knelt down beside the hitter who was still writhing on the ground. He put a hand on his shoulder.

"Eliot...hey...it's gonna be okay..." He whispered for comfort-more to himself, however. Hardison watched them before his gaze left and went to the cell phone some feet away. He bent down to pick it up and noticed that it was still on. He wondered what conversation he could've been having before he died, but then a voice spoke on the other end.

''What a show-excellent as always, Mr. Spencer.'' All of them tensed as the thick Asian accent continued. Eliot quieted his breathing and opened his eyes to star at the phone in the hacker's hand. "Looking forward to seeing you again-and meeting those crooks you call 'friends'. Maybe now that you took out Pankov's thugs he'll listen to me about you...Russians can be so thickheaded; wouldn't you agree?" Then he hung up. Hardison did the same on the phone and pocketed it.

"That bastard..." Eliot growled and tried to try to pick himself up when exhaustion hit him and he collapsed back to the ground. Nate's reflexes caught him and he held the hitter in his arms, despite Eliot's reluctance to stay that way.

"Eliot, man, calm down; you gotta rest okay." Hardison said, panic and worry speeding up his words. He went to go help Nate keep him up and grabbed his right arm. The man howled and swung a punch, but was slowed by the pain. The hacker jumped away and so did Nate, but doing so he accidentally dropped him. Eliot hit the ground and crawled away a few feet before leaning against one if the stalls. With his back to the two of them his shoulders heaved in caustic breaths and he pulled his right arm even closer to his body. Hardison looked at Nate for an answer of what to do, but all the leader did was keep his arms wide making sure neither of them got to close.

"We're not touching you anymore, okay? It's all okay Eliot." Hardison looked utterly confused. "At times like this it's best just to give him his distance till he calms down..." He whispered.

"Is he...dead...?" Eliot asked through gasps.

"Yes," Nate replied tersely. It was quiet; the animals had all calmed down and the only sound was Eliot shifting around so he was now facing them with his back against the wooden door. His arm was resting on his lap; the blood from the man was now drying on his skin and shirt.

"Dude...is your arm okay?" Alec asked tentatively. Eliot swallowed.

"Just broken-at the most..."

"Oh is that all,'' He sighed sarcastically.

"Come on,'' Nate took a step closer thinking he was cooled off by now. ''Let's get you inside.'' This time Eliot accepted the help up and the two stayed on each side to keep him stable; Hardison was sure to avoid the right arm this time around.

''What are you going to tell them about...'' He looked down at the still body and they got the idea.

''We'll tell them the truth.'' Nate said bluntly. ''There's no other way to hide this; I'm sorry Eliot.'' Both he and Hardison wanted to ask what had happened here. What snapped to make it end like this? But both were smart enough not to. Nate just made a note to have a talk with him tonight. Eliot went silent as he allowed the two of them to help him out of the barn. It was incredibly dark compared to what it was when the hitter chased the man before. The clouds had blocked all light and snow was beginning to fall lightly. The warm glow of the house was welcoming; the further the three walked the more chilled the air seemed to get. Then they noticed Parker and Sophie standing over on the porch; their eyes glued to the sight of Eliot. Their worried expressions were visible even in the lack of light. 

"Dude let me walk now..." Eliot mumbled, trying to break free of their help.

"No," Nate snapped. ''If you fall again it'd just make them more worried.'' The hitter grumbled to himself and just focused on keep his arm safely by his side.

"Nate..." Sophie didn't wait for them to reach the porch she walked down the steps to met them. "What happened...?" Her arms were crossed lightly, mostly just to keep some warmth in her body.

"They're all gone." He replied knowing that they could figure out the rest on their own. Parker looked down with a blank face as Eliot and Hardison made their way up the stairs.

"Are you gonna be okay?" The blonde asked softly and Eliot did his best to conjure up a reassuring smile.

"I'll be just fine." And with that he slipped silently inside the home. Leaving the four outside to talk amongst themselves.

"The Mayer's want to know..." Sophie said with a frown. 

"And they have a right to." The leader replied; he took a deep sigh and rubbed his hand down his face before leaning back against the porch railing. Hardison went up next to the thief and he put his arms around her for comfort.

"He killed him didn't he..." She looked up at the hacker with disappointment on her face, or maybe it was realization of just how the word really is. Hardison bit his lip and sighed before giving Parker a hug.

"But, he had to kill him, right? It was life or death, right-Nate.'' Sophie rubbed her arms and stared Nathan down.

"Guys it's not like he hasn't killed before-but none of this means he's bad.'' Nate said getting a little worked up. He pushed himself off the railing and started to pace out in the falling snow. The glow from the house was getting fainter as the perception increased.

"Though he hasn't killed on one of our cons before.'' Parker said wanting to believe that was true; she squared her shoulders and scowled at Nate for the truth. 

"Uh, that's right.''

''He has?'' She gasped; anger was building up.

''Parker, this is not the time...'' Sophie said, feeling a sudden wave of fatigue hit her. The wooden door to the farmhouse then opened seeing how the screen was still broken. Tasha tentatively peeked out.

"Mr. Ford, my parents would like to speak with you.''

''Of course they would...'' He mumbled. Nate walked up into the house and the rest soon followed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

Eliot sat in the darkness of his room; legs crossed over one another while his throbbing arm hung limply over them. He stared into space but was fully aware of what was happening in the room below. He felt closed off and suffocating while the words drifted up the stairs. No lights could be seen in his room and he was utterly silent-no one would've even known he was there.

''What kind of monster is he?''

The hitter felt like a child sitting in his room, listening in on his parent argue about him.

''Hey, he saved your life!'' Hardison up roared.

''Let me handle this...'' Nate soothed. ''Mr. and Mrs. Mayer, I assure you it was all for your protection.''

''We now have a body in our barn thanks to your man!'' Mr. Mayer screamed. Eliot hunched over himself and cuddled his wounded arm; he stared at the ground with anguish-filled eyes. ''What kind of human kills like that?''

''Don't talk about him like that!'' Sophie yelled; a wall of emotions breaking down within her-she felt like she was defending her own son. ''He risked his life doing what he did! You can't go and penalize him because it went overboard!''

''I'm sorry but we are very religious people and would never want to kill any of these people Mr. Ford; I don't know how you're used to doing things but this way of business cannot continue.'' Mr. Mayer declared.

''Uh, Hardison...Parker...would you guys please excuse us.'' Nate said calmly, leaning forward on his knees. The two were about to protest when the leader sent them the 'look'-reluctantly they both stood up and left without any protest.

Eliot stiffened in the silence downstairs. Then he heard the door open to his room, but he never checked to see who it might be; he didn't have to. The two of them silently walked in and sat on either side of the hitter who made no notion that he knew they were here. Parker put her arms on his back and Hardison glanced into his eyes only to look away a second later.

Back downstairs Nate took to whispering just in case the 'children' were listening.

''We will take care of the body fully, Mr. Mayer. We'll give him a proper burial, but as our clients I want to advise you not to slander one of our own ever again. If you do you will lose the trust of this team and they just might be a little less willing to help. Now, Eliot Spencer is a man not like you and me. None of us know what his past was like but it certainly was one of violence with the need for survival.''

Sophie was intently watching as Nate stood up for the hitter in a way he's never done before. The Mayer's watched, trying to keep an open mind.

''We do know he's had a military background; that he's worked as bodyguards and hit men for very powerful people. All his life he's had to protect himself from death and this is what happens sometimes.''

''So he's like the people trying to take our home from us.'' Mrs. Mayer deduced with tears close to streaming her face.

''Eliot is not like that.'' Sophie blurted out again. ''He's a good man who protects us like family. He is always fighting the demons within him and he never does anything that might make him lose control. Of course, it happens but I'm sure he never meant to do anything like this...'' It seemed like she as pleading them to understand-for Eliot's sake. Mr. Mayer sighed deeply and glanced at his wife and daughter.

''Mr. Ford,'' He stood up and so did Nate. ''We'll put all of this behind us if you are willing to continue your services.''

''Of course.''

''We would also like a proper burial for the man.''

''That can be done.''

''Thank you-we apologize, but we really need your help.'' Mrs. Mayer attempted a quirky smile; Sophie reached out and took her hand for comfort as she started to cry.

**~00~0*0~00~**

The three were perfectly fine together when the fourth came in. Nate pulled up a stool from the corner and sat down in front of Eliot's bed; again he asked the two to please leave. Both were getting pretty sick and tired of not being able to hear what the leader had to say but they left anyway.

''Kay, Eliot-you gotta listen to what I have to say...'' He began.

''What if I don't want to?'' The hitter replied with hostility. Nate looked up in surprise. ''Nate, I'm not gonna apologize for what I did. I know it was gruesome and no human being should have to see it, but I'm not gonna take it back.''

''I'm not asking you to. I know you don't wanna talk about your past because maybe you feel guilty-or maybe you scared of what we'll think of you afterwards... You're entitled to keep that past secret, however, if there's any piece of that past that is connected to this case then I oblige you to speak up about it.'' Eliot rubbed his arm in discomfort. ''I sent those two out so you'd only have to speak to me...you can do that can't you?''

''There was this man...when I was in Vietnam...'' Eliot kept stopping himself, not sure of where to start. ''His name was Colonel Tuan Kim of the Vietnam military. You can say I ran into him once or twice and we weren't exactly friends.'' He took in a deep breath. ''When I went to the barn to chase after that one man I heard him talking to Colonel Kim on the phone; the thought of that man was what made me snap and do what I did...''

''Kim was the man on the phone...what's he doing working with the Russians; do you think the Vietnamese government could want something with Pankov's mob?''

''No, Pankov couldn't possible have anything that they'd want... No, Kim's working on something on his own.''

''Eliot, is this man gonna be a problem?''

''He wants to kill me, Nate-and I want to kill him, bad... I won't tell you why; that's the part I want to keep secret.'' Eliot narrowed his eyes to show his seriousness.

''Well now we got two men to keep our eyes open for...'' He got up with a groan. ''I'll have Hardison get right on it.''

''How's he gonna get any reception all the way out here?''

''He's Hardison, he'll figure it out. Oh, and Eliot-please take care of your arm; if you need anything-''

''Yeah I know...I'll ask...'' Nate smiled and closed the door behind him, but not before turning on the light switch; he didn't need the kid to go sulking in the dark. Once he was sure he was alone Eliot got up and heaved his bag up from the floor with only one arm and dropped it onto the bed. He unzipped it and started to rummage through his things, all the while making sure to keep his right arm safe from banging into anything. Then, he found what he was looking for in the bottom of the duffle-he was lucky he even decided to pack it. He pulled out the long black cloth and wondered how he'd manage to get it on. What it was was a sleeve that would go up onto his right arm to act like a brace for the broken bones. It was tight and extremely uncomfortable, but it would allow a little more movement than any cast certainly would. It stretched from the hand to the elbow; where, on the hand, there were spaces for his fingers-though they wouldn't be covered. He sighed when he realized just how painful a task this would be with no help when there was a knock on the door.

"Eliot,'' Sophie came in before waiting for a response.

''You here to give me some speech or interrogation too?'' Eliot looked up at her with lost eyes.

''No, I wanted to make sure you were okay; is there anything I can help you with?'' She warily stepped into the room. The hitter grew quiet before he glanced down at the arm brace.

''Uh...no.'' He quickly stopped himself. ''No, I'm just fine.''

''That sleeve-need help putting it on?'' She brightened at the thought of being of assistance. ''It looks somewhat difficult and painful to put one by yourself; I'd love to-''

''That's why...I need to do it.'' He stared at her hoping she'd understand.

''Right, 'you can take the punishment','' The grifter backed away and crossed her arms in discomfort. ''Eliot...'' She was about to say something else before she changed her mind and stormed out. Frustration was boiling just below the surface of the hitter. Slowly his eyes filled with the rage and he slammed his right fist into the wall without thinking. Torture wracked his body and he bit his lip till it bled just to stifle the scream. He collapsed onto the already disheveled covers and gasped behind the pain. He writhed and cursed himself while squeezing the throbbing arm. Eventually when it all subsided he continued to lay there in fear that even the slightest movement would cause it all to return.

**~00~0*0~00~**

''It's freezing; let's hurry this up.'' Parker grumbled as she shivered in her black jacket.

''Just-give me a sec.'' Hardison retorted. Both were standing out in the snow; the light from the house was reflecting off the white and gave it all an orange tone. ''I though you liked the snow...'' He commented without taking his eyes off the laptop balancing in his arms.

''Only on Christmas; how is anyone supposed to blend in with all this stuff.'' She huffed. The thief then looked up at the large tower looming over the two. It was decaying with rusted steel; however, it still managed to connect the Mayer's phones to the distant cell towers so it'd have to work for now. Hardison was planning on having Parker climb up and connect one of his transmitters to the top so he'd be able to hack into the ancient tech, but then someone came out that drew his attention away from the plan.

''Uh...Mr. Hardison, was it?'' Tasha appeared with a sheepish smile.

''You can just call me Hardison,'' The hacker grinned, meanwhile Parker rolled her eyes and walked around the base of the tower.

''I understand you're trying to hook up your computers, yes?'' She tentatively walked closer to him. ''I think I have an easier solution than having Ms. Parker climb that dangerous thing.'' She smiled and seemed too glow in the soft light and falling snow.

''I'm just fine!'' Parker hollered. ''I've climbed much more dangerous than is!''

''Please, it's just this way.'' She turned and headed around the side of the home without looking back. Hardison motioned for the thief to follow and she did while mumbling incoherent words under her breath. The three moved to the doors leading down to the cellar. Tasha opened one at a time and sighed when both hit the ground with a cloud of flurries. ''Come.'' They all went down the steps and the girl reached up and pulled on a string when they reached the floor. A single bulb burst with light and flooded the room with an obnoxious yellow, greatly contradicting with the gentle orange from the outside home-lights.

''Well, all be damn...'' Hardison grinned at the sight of current machines. ''Why's all this down here.'' He looked away from the table of computers and wires to see the pleased smile on the Russians face.

''I like to keep up to date on things. Besides, how else will I keep in touch with my friends in the states when I visit home. Will this help you find out about those men?''

''Oh, girl I could find your long lost dog once I hook it up with my laptop.'' He walked up and began plugging in multiple wires with his computer.

''I, uh, never had a dog.'' Tasha peeped.

''It was a joke... HAHAHA!'' Parker scowled and then scared the girl into jumping back up the steps.

''I'll be back later.'' She replied with haste and she left-keeping the doors open allowing snow to begin piling up on the steps. The thief grew quiet and awkwardly stepped over to the hacker who looked to be already surfing the web.

''So, this stuff's gonna help...'' She sighed.

''You could keep me company.'' Hardison smirked.

''I don't know, it's kind of cold down here-you better hurry up.''

''Girl, say no more.'' He said and stepped aside so Parker could see the page he brought up.

''Wow that was fast.'' She blinked in amazement.

''Nothing one can't do when one has a little motivation.''

**~00~0*0~00~**

''You better have a good reason for making me come out here in the cold.'' Nate grumbled as he stepped down the snowy stairs.

''Trust me, you're gonna want to see this, Nate. I looked up the man you asked me to...''

''Yeah, and...'' The leader stopped beside the hacker and brought the cup of coffee up to his lips as his eyes scanned the laptop screen.

''Colonel Tuan Kim, an officer in the Vietnam military. 32 years old...born in Ba Ria...he specializes in-''

''I don't need his pen pal info just tell me how he's connected with this case and Pankov.'' Nate rushed.

''Okay-there was this big scuttle in Vinh a few years ago between him, his soldiers, and a group known as UNIT CANTON. It happened on one of their military bases and there was a casualty of almost 60 people; Kim lost practically all his men during this thing.''

''What's, uh, UNIT CANTON?'' Nate leaned in closer to the screen.

''That's the weird thing-out of all this, UC was the hardest thing to find data on. Supposedly it's a US group but there's nothing... However, I have some other stuff on Pankov that might-''

''Tomorrow; let's call it in for now.'' Nate patted his shoulder and immediately headed up the stairs. Once outside he made a beeline around the corner of the house and found just who he was looking for getting some fresh air on porch. ''Eliot,'' The man jolted around to see him coming. ''What do you know about UC?''

''What-what's this all about?'' The hitter pulled away in supposed shock.

''You were in the military, have you never heard of it?'' Nate questioned.

''I might've heard rumors about UNIT CANTON, but what's this got to do with anything...'' He was starting to get defensive.

''Impossible.'' Nate declared just as Hardison was coming out with his laptop in hand to witness what was going on. ''UNIT CANTON seems to be a protected secret of the government military and I never told you the name, so that means you must actually know more about it-or perhaps you were a part of it!'' Nate grinned at his own detective ability. Hardison grew wide-eyed and sniffed the man's coffee to make sure it was clear of drugs. Eliot glared at them and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt. ''What do you know about Vinh; were you apart of it?''

''You think Vinh's got something to do with this?'' Eliot shouted with an exasperated shrug.

''You're not denying it.'' Nate said.

''Stop questioning me like I'm a criminal or one of our marks!'' The hitter snapped in anger.

''I told you to tell me anything that might connect him with this case. You could be putting others in danger by withholding information on this man Kim.'' Nate retorted back, just as fumed.

''Dude, we just found out this man specializes in torture, weaponry, and martial arts; and before those 60 something died in Vinh he practically had an army at his disposal...'' Hardison interjected calmly. ''He's not someone you want to play around with.''

''You think I don't know that.'' Eliot hissed.

''Eliot,'' The stern tone brought his attention back to the leader. ''What's UNIT CANTON-does it have anything to do with this case-we need the truth.'' The hitter gazed from face to face; his breath was deepening and his heart thundered in his ears.

''I thought you said I was entitled to my past and secrets.'' He growled.

''Now I know how serious this all is...Eliot, we need to know.'' The hitter gave one final huff of protest before he began.

''UNIT CANTON was a group organized by the government-it brought together the best men to do the best missions. I was the commanding officer of this group.''

''That's sweet man; you have your army!'' Hardison exclaimed.

''UNIT CANTON was made up of 4 people... '' He corrected with pride. ''We were station in Vietnam for some time and we kept running into Colonel Kim, but at the time we never knew he would be our mark. We would often run cons like we do now, but...''

''But they were for different reasons.'' Nate summarized.

''When we got orders to go to Vinh and after Kim we were all shocked, but pleased to finally be able to pull the trigger and get out of there... At first even our own military back home didn't believe we could pull it off, but we were the best.''

''Eliot, what exactly were your orders,''

''They wanted us to kill Kim. He was gathering troops in the Vinh base, however, I had my guy look into it and he said everything Kim was doing was off the books.''

''Why would this man need an army?'' Nate wondered.

''Dude, seriously? Who doesn't want an army of their very own!'' Hardison gasped.

''We managed to kill about 60 of his men there and destroy most of the base, but Kim got away as you know.'' Eliot shifted his weight and avoided eye contact for he was afraid he could give more of his past away just with his expression.

''Whatever happened to UNIT CANTON?''

''Not relative to the case.'' He mumbled. However, when Nate refused to move his gaze Eliot finally gave in with a sigh. ''After the Vinh operation we got discharged and I haven't seen those three men since.''

''Why would the government get rid of the best of the best of the best?'' Hardison joked. The hitter's glare was enough to shut him up.

''Okay, calm down Eliot... Now, we all have some things to take care of, but I think this is all starting to come together...''

''Nate,'' Eliot stalled the man's train of thought. ''I'm warning you now-if I see Kim I'm gonna kill him.''

**~ Would love some reviews guys! Thanks so much! :D ~**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

''So, all we need to do now is find out what Kim is in all this and then we can form a con, right?'' Parker wondered, looking around the room of blank faces. Nate brushed his chin and leaned forward from where he was on the couch with Sophie.

''What would a military colonel be doing making deals with Russians. Why go through the trouble of hiding under the books?'' Sophie asked.

''Kim has gone behind his government's back before; this is nothing new to him.'' Eliot stated.

''Do you guy think Tuan's attempting to get back some of his lost men?'' Hardison said.

''Who'd he lose?'' Parker looked at the hacker in confusion.

''All of his men at Vinh...'' Nate answered before trailing off, but he was getting somewhere.

''Kim's here to find soldiers.'' His eyes widened in realization.

''Makes sense, Russians are tough and they're good at following orders if the man leading holds their respect.'' Eliot shrugged. Tasha then came into the living room where the team was now conjuring up their plan and she had with her a plate of drinks; she happily placed one in front of everyone.

''Sounds like you're making progress.'' She smiled and put the tin platter under her arm, but then bit her lower lip with hesitation. ''My father wanted me to remind you about the person in the barn...''

''Ah-don't worry, we'll get on that.'' Nate assured her as she left the room. ''So, we know why he's here, but do you think Pankov would really give away his own men like that...?''

''I know I wouldn't if I had hairy Russians at my disposal.'' Parker chimed in with a sip of her beverage. ''Just saying,''

''Pankov must not be aware of what Kim's doing here-Kim must be coning him with some other fake deal.'' Sophie realized.

''And whatever deal he thinks is going down he needs the Mayer's land to do so.'' Eliot added. Nate stood up and started to pace back and forth; the team's eyes all got glued to him.

''This house is the only one for miles on this strip of road, which also is a fairly direct route from southeast to northwest...Pankov must think he's getting some kind of imported merchandise from Kim in Vietnam and owning the only house on this road would be perfect for a long exchange to take place-no one around to see-especially...especially if he thinks this is gonna be a long time partnership.'' Nate exclaimed and the group was soon catching on.

''So, we need to convince Pankov that this deal is fake-which it is-and when there's no deal there's no more need to gain control of this land.'' Sophie said with growing excitement.

''Mr. Ford,'' A bellowing voice, belonging to Mr. Mayer, echoed through the living room and the man soon appeared in the doorway with snow resting on his shoulders like birds. ''There is still a man in my barn.'' He glared at Nate from beneath his hat's rim.

''Don't worry; we'll get right on it.'' He assured.

''I should hope so; this is not a chore that you can just brush off; this was a man's life and he needs to be put to rest, now!''

''Right...Hardison, Eliot let's go.'' Nate grew hasty under the man's strong gaze and he rushed the hacker up from his chair before moving to the hitter who just so happened to be sprawled out on the couch in slumber. ''Eliot, hey come on.'' He gently nudged the man's shoulder when Tasha returned. ''Seriously, you were awake just a minute ago...''

''I, uh, put some pain killers in his drink, Mr. Ford...I hope that isn't a problem...'' She peeped.

''Of course not; these two will be just fine!'' Sophie smiled and urged them outside, despite their annoyance to having to do it all themselves. ''Have fun you two!'' Sophie ended up calling to them from the porch as they trudged off into the deepening snow.

~00~0*0~00~

''Nate this sucks, like seriously here I am digging a grave in frozen rock.'' Hardison grumbled as he stabbed at the hard earth with the rusty tip of his shovel. Snow was falling like a blizzard now and both men were shivering in their less than adequate clothing.

''Just keep digging; hopefully we don't have to go that deep.'' He heaved more snow and solid soil off to the side; his breath came out in smoke before him and rose into the cloud-filled sky. The body mauled by their hitter was lying in a distorted heap just a few feet away and once again Hardison leaned on his shovel to complain.

''Why can't Eliot help us out-he could just punch out a grave for us.''

''That's not funny...'' Nate sighed with exhaustion.

''At least tell me this...that brain of yours is thinking right-of some kind of con we're gonna pull on this guy.''

''Of course, when do I not...'' He stabbed the shovel into the snow where it stood up. ''I think this is deep enough.'' He said, examining their work. Hardison threw his shovel to the ground and moved to grab the body by the feet. With Nate taking its shoulders they cumbersomely dragged it into the freshly dug hole.

''Should we say some words or something...?" Hardison asked.

''Uh, eh-I'm drawing a blank.'' Nate confessed in embarrassment; his hands clapped the sides of his legs as he stared at the hacker, dumbfounded.

''Dude, didn't you go to priest school?''

''Sorry you had to get punched to death and we hope you find peace and just redemption wherever you may go.''

''Beautiful man...'' Hardison wiped a fake tear before tossing a bucket load of snow on the man's bloodied and deformed face. ''Now let's get inside; I'm freezing over here!''

''Whoa, wait what's that...?'' Nate paused and stared through the thickening snowfall at where the road would be and far off in the distance, slowly getting closer, where headlights-groups of them coming towards the house. Apprehension suddenly filled the air as if they were awaiting the arrival of an army.

**~00~0*0~00~  
><strong>  
>''Eliot!'' A voice broke and the scream sounded bloody. ''Eliot!'' There it was again. Something blinded him and it didn't help with his surfacing headache. There were more screams, words jumbled together in multiple languages, and threats-they were distinguishable no matter what. The voice whispering in his ear was threatening.<p>

''Wake up-'' The scream became muffled. The hitter's fingers twitched from where he was lying on the wooden floorboards. What's wrong? He wanted to ask but found it impossible-his whole body was rendered immobile. Things were thrown around him, glass shattered, and chaos was eminent.

''Get off her!'' Someone yelled and punches were unleashed in rage. ''Eliot!'' Again someone called out to him. The hitter groaned and his eyes fluttered open; however, they registered nothing around him-just the obvious blood next to his face. Eliot Spencer groaned and started the process of lifting his torso up. Lights were blaring around him like fire and he had to squeeze his eyes shut. Then, a harsh voice snapped at him and a boot shoved him back to the ground. Screams of panic broke through the havoc and urged him to move forward. It whispered venom in his ears.

His world was shaking.

''What the hell-'' He was determined to get up and with his forearms Eliot propped his head up only to seethe in agony. What was this pain shooting itself through his right arm? Nothing made sense.

''Get them out; go, go!'' Orders were made and all the panic slowly made its way out the door in a non-orderly fashion as panic often does. Eliot panted and peeks open one eye, just to see. He was curious. He saw a snowflake land on the blood by his clenched fist and he watched as the crystal soaked up the crimson. It entranced him, but then, the sudden sound of engines roaring to life not far away brought his head to snap up. Ignoring the searing pain, Eliot slowly began to understand what was happening-not that he wanted to.

The floorboards were creaking beneath him as he shifted his weight around, unconsciously testing what limits he could put where. The screen door, which hung on one hinge, whacked back and forth on the wall in the brisk wind. That same wind brought in freezing air and snow into the gaping front door. The soft snowflakes landed amongst the glass which decorated the floor just as nicely. He stumbled up and found his balance almost nonexistent, but somehow he made it to the wall where he could lean for support. His heart was now thundering against his chest and his eyes went wide as they took in the living room-or what was left of it at least. Tables were turned over, glass was scattered across the disheveled couches and some blood was splattered across the floor-not far from where Eliot was staying.

The hitter ran a hand down his face and found something warm and sickly on his lip. _This can't be my blood... Not all of it at least..._ Eliot was still baffled by what could've happened here when he heard sobbing from outside. His body longed for the door by he practically fell on his way out; catching himself on the doorframe he was blasted with fierce air that instantly numbed his skin. Outside, the light was dim but the scene was noticeable.

Mrs. Mayer was collapsing to the ground in tears as her husband tried to trudge through the shin deep snow after two black cars which sped away from the home. He cursed something in Russia to the sky before Eliot brought both of their attention to him.

''What the hell happened here?'' His voice was hoarser then he would've expected.

''Mr. Spencer,'' Mr. Mayer turned to Eliot and looked as if he was staring at a ghost. ''Why weren't you taken?" He cumbersomely moved back towards the porch.

''What do you mean taken?'' The hitter hastily ran down the steps to meet the man eye level.

''Those men came and took everyone-even Tasha!'' Mrs. Mayer wept on her knees.

''How...'' Eliot looked around and already the tire tracks from the cars were being eaten by the night and snow. ''Do you have some way for me to go after them-please!'' The hitter didn't know if he was pleading or not. Maybe he was. His friend's lives were at stake here and for all he knew they could die before he even found a way to get to them. _No, that wouldn't happen_. He thought while following the man towards the barn. _The Russians must be desperate to get their home...they'll probably use them as ransom...hopefully..._

''I don't know how much use this might be to you, but these are desperate times.'' Within the barn Eliot saw where the blood stains of the man were and a knot twisted in his stomach. He suddenly remembered why his arm was hurting so much. ''Mr. Spencer; how familiar are you with horses?'' A smile crept on the hitter's face-despite the seriousness of this situation, and he looked up to just what he had hoped those words meant.

~00~0*0~00~

Sitting there in the car was probably the most nerve-wracking moments for the crew. With Parker and Hardison in the two seats in the second row; Nate and Sophie were moved to the back but surprisingly no henchman was put between them. The four were hesitant to speak to one another, though nothing has been said from the supposed leader of the group either.

''Eliot's gonna come, right? He'll come and get us.'' Parker asked before changing it to a statement.

''How will he get to us; we don't even know where we're going.'' Sophie whispered to Nate.

''Don't worry, you'll find out soon.'' The man in the passenger seat said with a thick Asian accent; he said nothing else and just continued to stare out the window like a child daydreaming. The team was perfectly still for minutes, waiting for him to yell 'no talking', but he never did.

''Nate, got a plan?'' Hardison turned around in his seat and mouthed it to the man behind him.

''Let's wait and see what they want before we try anything drastic.'' He replied composedly.

''Don't worry; we don't want much from you guys.'' The man in the passenger seat said again. ''You'll just have to sit back and draw Eliot Spencer out for us.''

''That accent...you're Tuan Kim, aren't you?'' Sophie deducted.

''I'm sorry you lost all your friends...'' Parker said sympathetically, obviously not grasping that they were soldiers and nothing more.

''Why thank you; at least one of you thieves is civilized.'' Kim exclaimed with laughter. ''Besides, I'm not even the bad guy here.''

''Sure, cause you didn't just go and kidnap all of us-my bad, man.'' Hardison mocked sarcastically.

''It wasn't me who killed all those men-that was Eliot Spencer.'' He informed as if they didn't already know. ''Yet, you still allow him to stay within your little group.'' Tuan was plagued with confusion.

''Eliot's not proud of the things he's done.'' Nate stated.

''And he was bound by our military to do it.'' Sophie added defensively.

''No wonder he's still with you,'' Tuan Kim was cracking up in the passenger seat. ''You're all so clueless and you put the blame on others just to avoid the fact that he's the guilty one.'' The team went quiet and glared at the back of the soldier's seat, silently cursing the man out within their heads. ''Hey, driver, how much longer?''

''The snow is forcing us to drive more carefully, sir.'' He relied.

''You live in Russia and you haven't planned for this?'' Kim outburst. The Russian never answered.

~00~0*0~00~

Eliot looked up to see one of the most beautiful, black horses he's ever seen. Mr. Mayer gripped the reins and led it out of the stall. The creature had sheen, black fur and a similar mane. On the horses forehead was a tiny, white diamond and the only contrasting color on its whole body.

''I won her in a poker game, of course I assumed the it would be a male and to do work in the cold, but male or not it's still a descendent of Secretariat.'' He handed over the reins to the hitter who wasted no time in mounting the beautiful mare while wearing a beaming smile. ''She won't help yea much but it's something.'' The man said with a shrug.

''How the hell did you win an heir of Secretariat?''

''Never verse me in poker, Mr. Spencer...'' Eliot was almost in a trance having the opportunity to ride again when Mrs. Mayer came running into the barn with a pile of clothes.

''Please, hurry.'' She gave them to Eliot who took a second to realize what they were for before he started suiting up. ''Please save them-save Tasha!'' She was about to burst into tears when her husband came and embraced her.

''There isn't much time; you better leave before all of the tracks get covered up.'' Mr. Mayer instructed.

''I hate to ask, but I'll need one more thing from y'all.'' Eliot said zippering up his jacket. The couple glanced at one another, wondering what it could be.

~00~0*0~00~

The car the team was in came to a rolling stop; the snow crunching under the weight of the vehicle. The four of them attempted to look out the windows and get some idea of where they were, but it was useless. Tuan Kim was about to order everyone to get out when his cell vibrated in his pocket.

''What the hell do you want?'' He snapped.

''Sir, our car got stuck. We're about half a mile out from the fort.'' The Russian on the other end replied. Kim cursed something in Vietnamese before replying: ''Leave it, and walk the rest of the way, you useless soldiers!'' The driver flinched and look tempted to lash out at the man who was belittling his comrades, though he got control of himself in time. ''Also, leave-'' Tuan's words were cut off for the team when wind suddenly began whipping in their ears. The four recoiled from the sudden sound and then turned to one another in confusion-neither Kim nor the driver seemed to be hearing the strange noise.

''All of you get out now.'' The door to the car had apparently been open and a chilling breeze was making its way into the two back rows. A looming Russian was standing just outside with a submachine gun in hands. ''Out!'' He repeated gruffly. The team scrambled out and lined up outside the car. ''Follow.'' Was the man's next order and they did in a neat, single file way.

~00~0*0~00~

The horse's name was Ziel; Eliot made it a point to ask before he took off. Once they got out of the bar he kicked her sides with his heels and she took off into the night with a neigh. Immediately lines began to blur at the corners of the hitter's vision and the snow coming at him like bullets did not help, but soon he got into a rhythm with the animal. Ziel's hooves against the snow and monotone beat of her gallop sounded to Eliot like a heartbeat; her heartbeat and her freedom which she has finally received after so long stuck in a stall. Never before had Eliot ridden a horse more eager to just run. However, she didn't care that he was a stranger or that she didn't know where they were going-Ziel just ran and it didn't seem like anything could stop her. Despite what Mr. Mayer had said the cold didn't seem to bother her one bit; her hooves managed to find some kind of traction amongst the power and the hitter could tell they were making up ground quickly.

It was difficult to see the tire tracks in the dark and blurring vision, but he somehow managed. It had been ten minutes since they left the barn and Eliot could feel the adrenaline being pumped throughout his body; it burned against the cold of Russia and its snow. Ziel could sense this aura from her rider and she took became zealous, for something. Her breathing came out in harsh burst from her nostrils and it rose like smoke coming out from a train. She felt unstoppable, there was no fatigue from her legs, she loved ever step she took in the feathery ground. In fact, Ziel was focused on running ahead as fast as she could she didn't even hear when the man on her back yelled, 'slow down'. She didn't even hear it a second time.

Coming up quickly in the shadows was what looked like a car deserted in the snow. It must be one of theirs... Eliot quickly deduced. He hollered 'slow down' to Ziel but she never listened. It looks completely void of anyone, but I can't take any risks. He thought. ''Slow down, Ziel.'' He ordered, but again she didn't hear. Now he began tugging on her reins and she protested with a sharp cry. ''I said stop!'' He yelled at the horse in frustration. Ziel failed around and continued to yell out. Why was this man making her stop? She was just as vexed as Eliot was. ''Stupid horse you have to listen to me!'' The hitter screamed and this time really pulled back. The horse reared up. Eliot didn't mean what he said; it was more the panic and worry for his friends that were talking. Then, amongst the turmoil that was a disobedient horse, he heard something that sounded like a bird chirping, but of course that was impossible. Moments later he realized it was the beeping of a land mine-which they had just triggered. His eyes went wide in shock and he yelled: 'run'! Ziel knew what that meant and she bounded forward when this loud explosion grew from the ground behind them like a blossoming red flower. The two of them were flown forwards with such force that everything turned black even before impact with the white.


End file.
